Help! Kitty with intestinal lymphoma won't eat!

He stays on a low daily dose of a steroid.  He was on Prednisolone but there were some major nationwide supply issues with it so he was switched to dexamethasone.  There are still some spotty supply issues with the pred so she just kept him on the dex.  They do sometimes treat IBD with leukeran , it's normally done when it can't be controlled with something like prednisolone.  I think they are probably the cases that fall in that grey area between IBD and small cell lymphoma.  I have even read of cases where the cat was kept on a low dose of leukeran to keep the disease controlled.  Leukeran actually does the same thing as a steroid but it is much stronger than the steroids that are normally used.

That's good to know. It's comforting to think this just might all work out well. They just switched him to prednisolone today. I haven't given it to him yet. I like that it will be easier on his liver though. God knows, it's gonna need a break after all the meds he's had to take lately. I'm also starting the Leukeran in the morning. I didn't start today because there wouldn't have been anyone home with him to see how it will affect him. I'll be with him all day tomorrow so I can see any changes or problems that may come up. Based on what I've read here from people that have used it, I'm kind of just expecting him to be lethargic and not eat at all. So really, not much different than what he's been doing. I'm praying he'll be one of the few that don't have any side effects at all.

When Kinney was getting the pred made up into a suspension, it was prednisolone that the compounding pharmacy used.  Kinney did remarkably well on 5mg of pred only.  After we started on weekly chemo treatments, it just took all of the punch out of him.

One of his chemo medicines was Vincristine - it was probably the least offensive of the chemo's he got on a weekly basis.  Even at that, his eating would drop off substantially on the days following the chemo.  It would take 2-4 days for him to recover and I would try and fatten him up before it was time for the next one.  He lost weight during the chemo treatments and he was alredy underweight going into it.  It was not a cake walk in any way.  The oncologist had told me that it takes 5-7 days for them to purge the chemo medicines from their system.

Krash's initial reaction to the Leukeran will probably determine how well he does.  You started this thread saying that Krash was not eating well - imho the chemo will intially worsen that.  At least you will only have one chemo to deal with, so once you have given him the Leukeran the first time - you will know its effect on him.  From what I have read on other threads, it is the supportive meds like pred, Cerenia and Cypro (or Mirt) that improve the eating situation, so if he isn't eating well beforehand - I don't think the Leukeran will help that.

That's what I'm afraid of too. Krash is underweight going into this as well. I expect him to get worse before he gets better, especially with the eating issue. Hopefully the pills will work because she said he would need a few injections of Vincristine to jump start it if they didn't. I gave him the first dose of Leukeran at 6am this morning. I'll do the second one tonight. I'm not supposed to start the prednisolone until his prednisone is gone. I've been with him all day. He hasn't eaten a whole lot, but he hasn't eaten any less than his new normal. He actually seemed to be feeling pretty decent most of the day. He pulled all of his little toy mice out of his toy box, but didn't ever play with them. He just layed on top of them lol. When he wasn't lying on his pile of mice, he was in my lap. He hasn't had bad diarrhea or anything either. Weird thing is that even with the Metronidozole, on the other days he has terrible diarrhea. I figured today would be bad.
So I guess he had a good first day of chemo pills. Hopefully this is indicative of what the future holds.
One more question in relation to the chemo being in his system- I'm a little freaked out by the chemo pills. With all the warnings about not touching his saliva, urine, etc. Not that I ever touched it anyhow (I'm kind of a germophobe so I'm always super careful when scooping litter), but what about when he grooms himself? Is it not good to pet him because there will be saliva on his fur?! He fell asleep on my arm today and drooled on it (he is missing a fang so he drools buckets in his sleep), and I got paranoid. I'm making sure I wash whatever the pill may have touched right away (the pill popper, etc) and I'm wearing gloves to administer it. Am I being irrational? I don't want to over react, but honestly these pills kinda freak me out.

Hi
My wee girl -8 year old daisy - has just started on chemo too for large cell lymphoma. I am terrified of her chemo meds and think I am being overly cautious and a little bit irrational too. My girls are also my babies as we don't have kids either.

I know what you're going through. It's awful not knowing how they feel but I think we tend to know our pets better than anyone.

Good luck - I hope things go well. I'm thinking about you and Krash and sending positive vibes your way. x

tinybash Thank you so much, & good luck to you too! I think even if we're over reacting, it's better safe than sorry. This is definitely no picnic for them or us.
I hope Daisy feels better soon. How is she handling the chemo so far?

Hey

She is doing okay. She seems to be content enough but doesn't like to sit with me or cuddle in bed at night. She was always my shadow so it takes a little getting used to. She is going for her second iv chemo (vincristin) next Monday. Vet said 2 weeks before they can tell if the tumor is shrinking so more waiting. She wasn't eating a bite but this has now picked up.

If only we could cure them with love alone

Keep us up to date with Krash's progress. I've done lots of reading up on lymphoma and results are more positive these days.

X

"If only we could cure them with love alone"-
I've thought the same thing so many times these last few weeks. Like maybe if I kiss his belly enough, the cancer would just go away :/

So, how's he doing?

He seemed to be doing alright for 2 days. Up until about 20 minutes ago. I gave him a metronidazole and a Cerenia because I could tell he was nauseous and dizzy. And he turned around 3 minutes later and threw them both up. Now he's hiding under my bed and won't even acknowledge me. This is the first real set back he's had. I feel awful for giving him the pills. They didn't even have a chance to help him, but I couldn't give them any earlier because I was working. I know there will probably be more set backs so I don't wanna freak out on the first one, but I can't help but wonder, did I make the right choice? This just seems so stressful for him

Of course how far to take treatment is a personal decision.  You have started the treatment so ,if it were me anyway, I would give it a chance to work.  Cerenia can be given as an injection but I think only a vet can give it.  If he gets really stressed by going to the vet, which most cats do maybe a home visit.  Even if your vet doesn't make home visits in a city the size of Seattle there are probably some mobile vets.  Maybe your vet could arrange a mobile vet to give him the cerenia shot.  The metro is very bitter.  I think maybe it would help in the future to give the cerenia pill a chance to work before giving the metro.  I don't know but I think the taste of the metro in addition to the nausea was too much.

That's a good point. I didn't know that the metro tasted that bad. I've been trying to give all the pills at once just because I don't want to stress him out more than I need to. He already gets "burrito'd" in his blanket and has stuff shot down his throat twice a day. They did give him a Cerenia injection when I had to take him to the ER a couple of weeks ago. It only lasts 24 hours though, and I'm thinking he's gonna need it every day until things improve. So, unfortunately, a pill is more practical. I can tell when it wears off because he gets really wobbly and licks his lips a lot. Plus, when it's working, he is much calmer and mobile. He doesn't just sit and stare at nothing with his eyes glazed over.
I don't feel like I made the wrong decision in trying to make him better. The reason I decided on this treatment was because he was doing so well taking pills in the Pill Pockets. Pill time was over in about 30 seconds. That's over now, so I have to use the pill shooter. He hates it. And I just feel this constant need to apologize to him. And after the look he gave me last night before he went under the bed...God, that was heartbreaking.
I am going to finish this round of chemo and see what happens. If he feels better, and things are looking up, we'll continue on this road.
I'll definitely give your advice a shot though because that makes sense. Thank you

Please don't doubt your choice. How would you feel if you weren't trying at all. Both of you will know when the time to stop trying is right. A good vet will also be a godsend when a decision has to be made because they will not allow our babies to suffer. He is a lucky boy to have you x

tinybash Thank you. That really means a lot. How is Daisy doing today?

Poor Krash. Is his eating any better? He's such a handsome boy.

Daisy had her second iv chemo today. She is now hiding under the bed. I'm not sure if she feels bad or is just annoyed at being back at the vet. It's so hard not knowing what's really going on inside their wee heads. I think the only one enjoying this is Daisys big sister, Missy, who is loving all the additional treats and not being chased up and down the house

Krash has hit a little soft spot in my heart too so I'm hoping and praying for a good result with both his and Daisys chemo x

I've been following this thread and I'm so sorry to hear about both Krash and Daisy. What a tough time you are all going through right now. My thoughts are with you. 

Regarding bitter pills...

I can't remember if this has already been mentioned, but I've had huge success with using empty gel caps purchased on Amazon (by the recommendation of LDG). My Sebastian HATES the taste of pills and would immediately start foaming at the mouth, so I put them all in a #3 or #4 gel cap, close it, and coat it with a thin later of butter. I follow with a couple light squirts of water in the roof of his mouth so that the gel cap goes down easy. He is much less stressed out this way.

Another tip: If putting your fingers in the cat's mouth, keep your fingernails cut super short, if possible. Just one stab in the cat's mouth with a nail can be very uncomfortable and/or painful and contribute to the stress. You only want to use the soft pads of your fingers.

I was going to suggest putting both the pills in an empty gelcap!  OR, can you not get the metro compounded (although the compounding pharmacist once told me if it starts out as a really bitter medication, even compounded cannot always take away all the bitterness .  It's worth asking though, right?)

tinybash We gave him the last chemo pill Monday morning. I think that one hit him the hardest. He was very nauseous and barely ate at all. I finally got him to eat some tuna last night. I figured it was better than nothing. His eyes were really goopy, and he just looked miserable all afternoon. I went and bought him a new comfy little bed to put in his favorite spot, and he stayed there all day. It's out in the open though, and he talks to anyone who walks by. He's not hiding away, so that's something I guess. I just sit with him and give him loves and talk to him.
goholistic & mrsgreenjeens
Thank you for the suggestion. I just picked up his prednisolone at the pharmacy and it was in gel capsules. Hopefully it will be easier on him if he can't taste the medicine. I know I would prefer it that way! Pills taste awful. I use the pill shooter, my husband (who is much more competent at giving Krash the pills) just opens his mouth and drops them in. He's very careful. Although, to watch it, you'd think he was trying to strangle the poor kitty lol. Krash is very uncooperative. It's a great idea to coat it with butter. I wondered if the gel cap would get stuck in his throat. I've had that happen to me and it's uncomfortable. I hadn't checked into compounding his meds yet. I've just recently learned that it can even be done. dan32 mentioned that he had his done into a chicken flavored liquid, and one into a topical cream. So that's my next mission.
I have to go out of town for 5 days this Friday, and I am getting really nervous. I don't want to leave him. He'll be in capable, loving hands, but I'm still worried. It was hard to leave him before, it's really difficult now

Also, can cats have soy milk? It's what I use in my coffee, and he seems to want to try it. I wasn't sure if he should though.

I probably wouldn't try it but that's just me.  It would not create the problems from lactose but I don't know about the soy.  I think it is one of the things that has been identified as a possible irritant for IBD.  I know a lot of people use goats milk for orphaned kittens.  If you're able to find it that would be a possibility.  I have seen it here in the organic health food part of the supermarket but it is pricey.